It is common practice to package electronic components, such as connectors, integrated circuits, sockets, and the like, in extruded tubes which have an interior cross section that conforms to the shape of the articles or components. The components are simply placed in the interior of the tube and the ends of the tube are closed during shipment. When the articles are placed in service, a feeding apparatus is used to feed the individual articles from one end of the tube to a delivery station. Some of the known types of feeding devices depend upon gravity to move the articles from the tube to the delivery station; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,531, 4,636,126, and 4,599,026. Other feeding devices hold the tube in a horizontal attitude and feed the articles from one end of the tube along a horizontal feed path to the delivery station by means of compressed air or a pushing device, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,578. U.S. application Ser. No. 651,671, filed Feb. 6 1991 describes a feeding apparatus in which the article feeder comprises a flexible steel tape which is moved through the tube by feed rolls which are rotated by an electric motor located at one end of the tube.
The present invention is directed to the achievement of a relatively simple feeding apparatus which uses a tape type feeder as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 07/651,671 but which has a relatively simple spring type actuator for moving the leading end of the tape into, and through, the tube.